Though the city of Chicago has largely put last season’s failures behind them with the acquisition of Derrick Rose, Luol Deng still has a sour taste in his mouth.
After turning down a $57.5 million deal last year, the Bulls have not returned to that figure in recent negotiations with Deng. And if Luol doesn’t get the deal that he’s looking for before he joins the Great Britain national team in a couple of weeks, he’s done in Chicago for good.
The message to the Bulls promises to be implicit: Unless the two sides come to terms soon, Deng will never again negotiate with them. He will not let the uncertainty over his future hang over another basketball season, and unless a sign-and-trade is worked out, Deng will play out his final season in 2008-09 and sign elsewhere next summer.
If that deal isn’t locked in, he’ll ink a one-year $4.5 million sheet for this season, thereby becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2009. Thus, if the Bulls want to retain Deng or find some way to get a return on him if he’s determined to leave, they’re going to have to explore sign-and-trade options. Both the Heat and the Jazz have been mentioned as potential suitors.
Should Bulls GM Jerry Reinsdorf reward Deng with a bigger deal after his disappointing ‘07-08 season, in which he posted 17 points per night, or should he let him walk?
Source: Yahoo! Sports
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July 21st, 2008 at 12:50 pm
shake&bake says:
I think Deng is a solid player, but has a low ceiling. I don’t see him as a top level player in the leauge, more likely a 2nd or 3rd option.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Celts Fan says:
Here’s the thing though. This guy was the ONLY reason they don’t have Kobe right now. He was the guy that was supposed to be untouchable. So how come now he’s not worth that $$$? Because everyone knows that, I think he gets his $ so they don’t have to deal w/ the, “We could’ve had Kobe for THAT GUY and you said no then let him walk!?!” crap for the next few years
July 21st, 2008 at 12:58 pm
fiyaman says:
I agree with Celts.. if they dont give him the $$ then they look real stupid cause they could have gotten Kobe for him..
i dont blame him though give the an ultimatum and move on.. J-Smoove should do that same and come to NY next yr..
sign n trade Deng for Odom
July 21st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
nick says:
personally i would rather have odom. odom is a better fit in the triangle offense. plus he can play multiple positions where deng is strictly a 3.
celts fan says it all perfectly.
July 21st, 2008 at 1:14 pm
YOUNGFED says:
“Who’s more likely to beat Team USA?” - Dime
Ummmm….Where’s the none of the above option?
July 21st, 2008 at 1:18 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Maybe Deng’s agent should talk to Olympikos
July 21st, 2008 at 1:26 pm
JA says:
Shoot. Would love to see Deng on the Raps. Not much to offer in a sign and trade. Would deal Parker and Bargniani to make that go down. Doubt that would get Deng though.
July 21st, 2008 at 1:29 pm
hahns says:
totally agree w/ shake&bake. the fact that they treated him as an untouchable last offseason boggled my mind. the guy honestly isnt super athletic…hes not aggressive. he doenst shoot the 3 ball well…hes a mid range jumpshooter, thats it. he doenst show much upside imo
July 21st, 2008 at 1:32 pm
fallinup says:
They’ll pay Deng. They have too. Another season like the last one is the last thing they need. The whole fact that Deng is still up in the air shows how inept Chitown’s front office is.
July 21st, 2008 at 1:36 pm
MSkittle says:
Let him walk
July 21st, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Truth says:
I would do a sign and trade with a josh Howard maybe? Bring Ron Artest back Maybe? I think Dengs game is akward and I af=gree with Hahns. I just don’t see the upside in deng. They need an interior post guy though. Maybe a sign and trade for Zach Randolph maybe? I mean there are a lot of trades that can be made and many people are willing to listen for deng.
July 21st, 2008 at 1:41 pm
imperial-mel says:
id say hes out…def. its a new era for the bulls
July 21st, 2008 at 1:47 pm
BlazeMcHerbs says:
J.Reinsdorf is an ass. Atleast offer the same money, but no, this guy wants to screw over his players.
At this point, if they dont do a sign and trade, then Reinsdorf is as dumb as Thomas…
July 21st, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Deng is no position to make ultimatums. I’m a die hard Bulls fan and I’ve never been a big fan of Deng. Maybe because he’s from Duke or maybe because I don’t see him as a star player. He’s a role player at best.
I say trade him or let him walk next year. At the least he will have to play hard and have a good season for the Bulls to command the money he wants on the free agant market next summer.
How about Deng and Heinrich for Odom? The Lakers need a true point and Deng and Ariza can possibly make up for Odom at the small forward spot. Or I’d even be happy with Josh Howard for Deng.
July 21st, 2008 at 1:55 pm
chrisGO says:
bulls couldnt have gotten kobe for deng…a la his no-trade clause, kobe said he wouldnt accept any trade to bulls if deng wasn’t there
July 21st, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Jules says:
he’s just salty bc no one is making any offers for him! Why would you when Josh Smith is out there and most teams assume the Bulls will match anyways?
July 21st, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I`CouldBeYourFather says:
Deng is what he is…man
He is what he is…..
Why do you guys think that a player is suppose to be a star player. .. you still need guys like Deng to do the intangibles…his value depends on how many guys can do the same thing for the same money….
He is what he is!!
July 21st, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Truth says:
@Post 17
Yeah, Deng is what he is….
And players who are what they are…
Don’t request more than 10 mil a year.
You are right he is what he is…. A role player
and he needs to command the salary of a what? A role player.
Thisi dude is tryin the break the bank, him and Gordon.
July 21st, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
I don’t need every player on my squad to be a star player but when a player thinks he deserves more money than he is worth then I have no choice but to point it out. The Bulls obtained him with the thought that he would be a star player. Does anybody think he deserves more than $57 million?
He is what he is… overrated.
July 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
I`CouldBeYourFather says:
Wouldn’t you?
If the going rate is 10mil for a role player I would take it!!!
Kirk Hinrich is made 11mil, 10 mil this coming year…is he worth it….
Larry Hughes is making 12mil….!!!!!
So if you’re going to pay them pay me!!!!!!!
July 21st, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Truth says:
@Post 20
But that’s the point, those players are over paid, and hughes happened to land there through a trade to get rid of that loser Ben Wallace. They would rather have a Hughes than a Wallace who did absolutely nothing in Chicago!! And Hinrich is most likely on his way out via trade. He was worth 10 mil AT THE TIME. Now his production has dramatically decreased in part because Deng and Gordon created mayhem by rejecting the cotracts and throwing up more bricks than I’ve ever seen in my life.
July 21st, 2008 at 2:29 pm
I`CouldBeYourFather says:
Do I think he deserves 10mil …..NO
But should he get 10mil…yes if you’re giving it away to other backup players…
LARRY HUGHES IS NOT A STAR! NEVER WAS
KIRK HINRICH NEVER WAS AND NEVER WILL BE…
So, Deng should be paid based on the going rate….
July 21st, 2008 at 2:38 pm
shake&bake says:
Why would they continue to overpay if they are already overpaying 2 other players. Aren’t you supposed to learn from your mistakes, not just say, “Well Hinrich and Hughes are overpaid, so let’s overpay whoever asks for it”
July 21st, 2008 at 2:46 pm
quick wit it says:
thank god we got rose…otherwise this whole conversation wouldn’t have any glimmer of hope
July 21st, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I`CouldBeYourFather says:
@shake&bake
I blame management, not Deng! He should ask for…look at James Posey…he got an extra year even though he will be washed up as a player by time that contract with the hornets run out….That way Boston didn’t do it, as well as other teams….
It’s called leverage….Does Deng have leverage? Sure he does, because now they can lose him all together…Will he get 10mil…not through free agency…….Not the way he played last year…(see Latrell Sprewell)
July 21st, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Len Bias says:
Reinsdorf screw up a good thing?
Did the sun come up today too?
July 21st, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Jayo says:
Bottom line is, Deng is upset that he rejected that money last year, cuz he knows nobody will touch him for near that amount. Now he’s trying to strong-arm Chi-town. If Magette only got $10 mill why would anybody pay Deng more than that. Deng is not better than Magette.
July 21st, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
@ICouldBeYourFather
You lost your argument when you said in post #22 that you didn’t think Deng was worth 10 million/year. That’s the real issue here. We all know that teams often overpay players. But there is no reason to overpay another role player just because you’ve done it in the past. I feel the same way about Ben Gordon and Heinrich. In my mind they can trade all of them.
July 21st, 2008 at 4:06 pm
I`CouldBeYourFather says:
I agree….trade gordon…heinrich, they should have pulled the trigger on the Pau Gasol offer….even though Pau is weak but a definite upgrade to what they have now….
Annnddddd….they better hope that Rose is the real deal….I don’t think he is…can he play…yes…but is he the savior…nope…and nope
July 21st, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Jayo says:
Deng is an over-rated player. He has not accomplished anything in the NBA! He had 1 decent season when apparently the entire team over-achieved. The Bulls were bad before that 1 miracle season & have been bad since. Why pay an average at best player $12mil a year to only win about 20 or 30 games in a weak a conference? The Bulls were wrong to even offer him $57mill.
July 21st, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Dave says:
Imagine Deng on that Blazers team. That would be nice, fill that small forward and extra scorer role very nicely. Himself and Brandon Roy would be very tough defensively.
Raef’s expiring contract and Outlaw?
July 21st, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
@dave
If we can’t get anything more for Deng you could be on to something. How about Outlaw and one of the guards. We already messed up on the aldridge for thomas trade so maybe the blazers could find it in their heart to include one.
July 21st, 2008 at 5:12 pm
doc says:
I wouldnt pay him 10 mill.Hes just not that good to me,Compared to who he thinks hes as good as.Im with Fed to on the none of the above option.I dont think none of those teams have a chance in hell.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
Celts fan: It wasn’t that the Bulls didn’t want to give up Deng for Kobe. They would have gladly gave him up for Kobe. But Kobe said he would vito the trade if Deng wasn’t going to be there. Who the hell gave Kobe a no-trade clause anyway…that’s just ridiculous!!!
July 21st, 2008 at 7:49 pm
K Dizzle says:
lol @ post 33
Kobe EARNED that no-trade. He’s one of 5 dudes in the l who have that right IMO. Kobe, Bron, Timmy, DHoward and KG.
Funniest thing is that both Dre Iggy and Deng turned down 57 mil extensions, but would you trade Iggy for Deng today? Deng’s lost serious value
Who’s the last Dukie to win a chip?
July 21st, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Homeless J says:
Fuck Luol Deng. @ Dave - I’d rather have Travis Outlaw (who keeps getting better and better every year, is a better defender and is paid a ton less) and Raef’s expiring money, because it expires at just the right time for us. (not that it really matters either way because you have to imagine there would be about as much of a chance of that deal happening as Eddy Curry signing up for Weight Watchers.)
not only that but I hate Duke and it was bad enough having Fag McRoberts sitting on our bench in a suit and collecting money for doing jack shit all year.
July 21st, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Top_gun says:
Luol Deng should’ve just signed the contract last year. Now the fool is worth far less and i’m guessing the fans aren’t too fond of him now. And don’t get me started on Ben Gordon.
I don’t understand how the same jabronis who gave Hinrich that fat contract are being stingy with Deng. Maybe they learned their lesson.
July 21st, 2008 at 9:43 pm
jace says:
let him walk…
or actually.. see wut philly does with iggy’s contract first. deng was picked before him in the draft but hasn’t rose to as much semi-stardom as iggy. still potentially a good player and has shown he can rise to the occasion sometimes.. sooo he should be making slightly less than iggy.
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:59 am
Big V says:
EVERYBODY sucked in Chicago last year, not just Deng. It’s somewhat unfair to use a tumultuous season in which there was a head coaching change as a barometer by which to gauge Deng’s potential/value. I don’t think he’s untouchable by any means, but you can’t determine that from the 17 ppg from last season.